News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-06-16

''Re popped his microscope once more into has
eye, andheld the ring up 10 the light"
footing by purchasing some trife, and
then, taking the ring from the hand OF
my new acquaintance, placed it before
the Iewe.er and asked him to give me an
opinion as to its value.
"A YER fine stone, sir, said the
Frenchman; 1 congratulate you on the
possession of so fine diamond
q" 1T is not mine; it belongs to my
friend here
"'Ahl if that be the case, then I
congratulate heem, said the polite
tradesman.
What do you suppose it is worth?'
1 asked.
"'Oh, it is difficult to say said the
Frenchman, Struggling his shoulders.
Won gentleman sinks Won price NOR for
him, anotter sinks
Yes; but what would you give if
you were to buy it2 Would you give
| eighteen hundred francs?'
''The ieweller did not reply for a few
seconds. He popped his microscope
once more into his eye, held the ring up
to the light, examined the setting and
fell to making elaborate calculations
with a pencil on sheet of blotting
paper:
II do not often buy such large
stones, but 1 will give You two thousand
five hundred francs for this one,' he
finally said to the American.
''The Yankee did not reply; and the
Frenchman, assuming that his offer was
accepted, placed the ring on little
ledge behind him and opened his desk
for his check book
"'Not SO fast, said Brother Jonathan:
the diamonds not for sale.
Z" Two thousand six hundred francs,
was the Frenchman's reply.
''The American shook his head
60 Seven hundred-eighth hundred!
"'No!'
"'Nine hundred - three thousand
francs That is my last offer. Pause,
[ beg of you, monsieur, before you re-
fuse it. 1t is large sum-three thou
sand francs, and, as if he were convinced
that no one could refuse such price, he
put the stone once more among his own
treasures and again turned round for
his check-book.
"' Thunderr exclaimed the Yankee:
what do you take me for? l tell you
can't and won't sell you the ring. 1t
was as good as sold to this British gen
tleman last night, and it isn't mine to
sell any more. Give me the ring"
so saying the American took the
ring rather sharply from the jewelers.
hand and replaced it on his finger. The
Frenchman next made me an offer for
the trinket; but as l had not bought it
fpT of II %
and we left the shop.
'My mind was clear now as to the
prudence of giving eighty pounds for
the diamond. had heard the best jew
eler in the town offer three thousand
francs, or hundred and twenty pounds,
for it.
"'Well, must say you have acted
most honorable, said L to the American
when we reached the street. after all,
a bargain can't be all on one side, and |
had never promised to buy the ring, so
you had perfect legal right to sell it to
the Frenchman.'
"' You needn't say no more, stranger,
said the Yankee, as if he were tired of
the subject. You can have the stone
now, if you choose, at the price we fixed
on last night, and he held the ring out
to me.
"But had to get my letters of credit
cashed, and / agreed to meet the Ameri-
can in the billiard-room in an hours
time and conclude the transaction.
F'NO one was in the billiard room
when entered it (for it was still early
in the day. except the American, who
was standing by the empty fireplace
The transfer did not occupy more than
five seconds, and the Yankee immedi-
ately proposed drinks. These being
discussed, we separated, and / saw no
more of my friend from the States that
day.
''That evening after dinner I happened
to be sitting not far from the fireplace
in the billiard room, when l noticed a
small round object lying just inside the
marble fender. Curious to know what
it was, l left my seat and picked it up
1t was a jewelers. ring case-nOt an un-
common article, certainly, yet hardly
the sort of thing one often sees on the |
floor of billiard room.
Suddenly [ remembered that the |
American had been standing close to |
the spot where L found it, when, earlier |
in the day, l had exchanged my two
thousand francs worth of notes for his |
diamond. An uncomfortable feeling
crossed my mind. What did he want |
with a ring case2 He had been wear |
ing the ring he had sold me. He might |
have kept case for it, of course, and |
might have thrown it away when he |
parted with the ring; yet that seemed |
an unusual sort of thing for man to
do.
81 opened the case. The makers !
name was inscribed in gilt letters inside |
the lid, and the address given was Paris.
Paris ? said to myself He said the
ring had been bought in Brazil There
was no real ground for suspicion, yet L |
was uneasy. l went upstairs and took |
out the ring. The pattern-yOu see it |
is peculiar One-I remembered well. |
Somehow judged, or fancied, that the |
did not shine as brightly as it |
had done the night before.
"Next morning [ took the ring to a
second jeweler and asked him his opinion
as to its value He examined the |
carefully and laid it down
On the glass case before him with one |
word:
"'Pasten
"'Paste!' I echoed. 1mpossible!'
&" Certainly paste, and a very good
imitation, he replied, turning away.
"My heart sank within me. Eighty
pounds was a sum could i'll afford to
ose. 1t meant a summary end to my
holidays, not to speak of embarassments